Home > History of science and technology
The history of science and technology (HST) is a field of history which examines how humanity's understanding of science and technology has changed over the millennia, and how this understanding has allowed us to generate new technologies. This field of history also studies the cultural, economic, and political impacts of scientific innovation.Modern mathematical science and physical engineering as it is understood today took form in the scientific revolution, but was built on the work of the Greek and Islamic civilizations, which in turn had learned from the civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and IndiaThe Republic of India is a large multicultural country in South Asia, with a population of over one billion. The Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, and is the world's second-fastest growing economy.. In technology, during most of history up to that time, the most advanced part of the world was ChinaThis article is on the geographic and cultural entity. For other meanings, see China (disambiguation). China ( Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , Hanyu Pinyin: Zhongguo, Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo) is a country in continental East Asia with some oute.
1 Challenge to orthodoxy
A persistent theme in the history of science and technology has been the poor reception so often given to those who espouse ideas contrary to the prevailing orthodoxy. The story of GalileoGalileo Galilei ( Pisa, February 15, 1564 Arcetri, January 8, 1642), was a Tuscan astronomer, philosopher, and physicist who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. His great achievements include perfecting the telescope, a variety of astron has often been taken as a case in point: some natural philosophers and astronomers, especially those in areas closely influenced by religious orthodoxy, were reluctant to check their theories by looking through the newly-invented telescope as Galileo did. It is a poor example, however, because within a few years Galileo was one of the most honored scientists in Italy, and held in high regard by the JesuitThe Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu , commonly known as the Jesuits is a Roman Catholic religious order. It was founded in 1534 by a group of University of Paris graduate students led by Inigo Lopez de Loyola (Ignatius of Loyola). Foundation On Au astronomers of the Collegium Romanum—who were using telescopes with enthusiasm.
After enough time, even the most unpopular idea can become a new scientific orthodoxy, if it can survive experimental test satisfactorily. A famous recent example would be the theory of plate tectonics20th century. Plate tectonics (from the Greek word for "one who constructs", τεκτων tekton ) is a theory of geology developed to explain the phenomenon of continental drift. In the theory of plate tectonics the outermost par, which is now basic to any study of large-scale effects in geologyGeology (from Greek γ&eta ge "the earth") and λογος logos "word", "reason")) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. Geolog.
There is a controversy over whether we are more receptive to new scientific paradigmFor alternative meanings see Paradigm (disambiguation). From the late 1800s the word paradigm refers to a thought pattern in any scientific disciplines or other epistemological context. Initially the word was specific to grammar: the 1900 Merriam-Websters now than in Galileo's time. While some see Galileo's saga as an example of the arrogance of authority, others argue that rejection of new ideas today cannot be directly compared with examples such as Galileo. They claim that theories developed and tested by following the currently accepted principles of scientific investigation closely, as Galileo did, are generally accepted however surprising they may be, whereas ideas that make yet unproven and seemingly unjustified assumptions are termed pseudoscience.
The excess heat observed in the Fleischmann-Pons experiment, which they and some others have attributed to cold fusion, is a challenge to orthodoxy that is not yet fully resolved. The first report, which received extremely intense press coverage, caused many physicists to attempt to reproduce the experiment (a necessary process in science); these first attempts resulted in many complete failures, at least three widely reported claims of success that were later withdrawn, and no clear and reproducible successes. Since then, the experiment has been repeated by other scientists who have reported various degrees of success. Because of lack of clear confirmation, as well as on theoretical grounds and criticisms of experimental methods, claims of cold fusion have been rejected as pathological science or even pseudoscience by most mainstream scientists.
